We’ve got football fever, in fact we’ve got Fifa Fever, and we guarantee you will too. It’s contagious.
Starting this Thursday, June 12, the 2014 FIFA World Cup kicks off (pun intended) in Brazil at Maracanã Stadium. For those of you new to the world of FIFA, here’s a rundown of how it all works.
Leading up to the cup, qualifying tournaments are held in FIFA’s six continental zones (Africa, Asia, North and Central America and Caribbean, South America, Oceana and Europe).
The qualifying teams are sorted into Groups A-H. Each group holds four teams. They all play each other once in what’s called a round robin and get three points for each win, one for a draw and none for a loss. The two teams with the most points in each Group move on to the 16 team knockout round until the two teams are left standing for the finals.
These are the teams we’re hoping to see make it to the final:
USA
Ranked 13th in the world, team USA may not be a favourite to win but they are the closest thing to Canada we have to root for. They have some tough games ahead of them, they’re playing Portugal, Ghana and Germany in Group G.
Portugal
Ranked 4th, Portugal is a team synonymous with the FIFA World Cup, so watch out everybody. And let’s be honest, the more chances to look at Christiano Renaldo in action, the better.
Brazil
Ranked 3rd, Brazil is the proud owner of five World Cup titles. Starting out in Group A with Croatia, Mexico and Cameroon, we hope to see these guys come out on top again. There’s something so heartwarming about the host country winning.
Netherlands
Ranked 15th, the Netherlands has a huge following, so any match you watch at a pub is sure to be loud and fun. They’re starting out in Group B with Spain, Chile and Australia. With those bright orange jerseys they’re pretty hard to miss.
Whatever team you’re cheering for, we want to know how you’re celebrating the World Cup. Do you have flag clad cars and bikes? Are you making daily pilgrimages to local pubs to watch midday matches? We just might see you there.
